KR20080079843A - Apparatus for dipensing fluid and method for fabricating flat panel display device - Google Patents

Abstract

A dispensing apparatus and a method for manufacturing a flat panel display by using the same are provided to remove liquid type material lumped in an end of a discharge nozzle by using high pressure gas, thereby improving efficiency in work. In a stage(110), a substrate(101) is loaded. A syringe(142) receives liquid type material dispensed onto the substrate. A discharge nozzle(145) discharges the liquid type material. A dispenser(146) mounts the syringe to be fixed, and has a sensor unit for sensing a distance from the substrate. A driving unit(130) enables the dispenser to move on the stage. A washing unit(160) has a gas spray unit(162) for washing the discharge nozzle.

Description

Dispensing equipment and manufacturing method of flat panel display device using the same {Apparatus For Dipensing Fluid and Method For Fabricating Flat Panel Display Device}

1 is a front view of a dispensing equipment according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

2 is a front view of main parts of the dispensing equipment according to the first embodiment of the present invention;

3 is a front view of main parts of the dispensing equipment according to the second embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 4 is a structural diagram of the main part of the dispensing equipment according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

5 is a front view of main parts of the dispensing equipment according to the third embodiment of the present invention;

Figure 6 is a structural diagram of main parts of the dispensing equipment according to the third embodiment of the present invention.

7 is a process chart showing a manufacturing method of a flat panel display device according to an embodiment of the present invention.

The present invention aims at reducing process loss and preventing defects, and provides a dispensing apparatus having a cleaning unit for cleaning a discharge nozzle for discharging a liquid substance.

In addition, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a flat panel display using the dispensing equipment having the above characteristics.

With the development of the information society, there is a demand for the development of a technology for an image display device that has improved disadvantages such as heavy weight and large volume of a conventional CRT (Cathode Ray Tube).

As a result, a variety of materials such as OLED (Organic Light Emitting Diode), PDP (Plasma Panel Display Device), Surface-conduction Electron-emitter Display Device (SED), Liquid Crystal Display Device (LCD), etc. Branch flat panel display devices are attracting attention as new image display devices.

Among these various flat panel display devices, a liquid crystal display device, which is widely used from a display screen of a small mobile phone to a large TV screen, may be described as an example.

The liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate and a second substrate bonded together to face the first substrate, and a liquid crystal layer encapsulated with a sealant is interposed between the first substrate and the second substrate.

In general, the first substrate includes a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines formed to define a pixel region crossing the gate lines, a thin film transistor formed in the pixel region, and a pixel electrode electrically connected to the thin film transistor. A thin film transistor array configured to include is formed.

In addition, a color filter array including a light blocking layer formed to define a pixel region and a color filter layer formed to cover the pixel region is formed on the second substrate.

As such, a process of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device having a configuration in which two substrates on which a thin film transistor array and a color filter array are formed are bonded to each other may be used, for example, by dispensing a sealant such that the two substrates are bonded to each other and fixed. Dispensing the material onto the substrate.

As such, the process of dispensing a liquid material on a substrate requires precise dispensing because the line width of various patterns formed on the substrate or the distance between the two substrates is only a few μm.

Since the flat panel display other than the liquid crystal display described above also has a configuration in which the two substrates are bonded together, a process of dispensing a liquid substance such as a sealant in a precise amount on the substrate is very important.

However, the conventional dispensing equipment has the following problems.

When dispensing a high viscosity liquid substance such as a sealant through a discharge nozzle, a phenomenon that the high viscosity liquid substance is agglomerated easily at the end of the discharge nozzle.

As such, when the liquid substance of high viscosity is agglomerated at the discharging nozzle end, it is difficult to dispense the precise amount onto the substrate, and the sensor unit which recognizes the distance between the discharging nozzle and the substrate is at the discharging nozzle end. There is a problem in that the distance between the substrate and the discharge nozzle is not accurately sensed due to interference by the high viscosity liquid material stuck to the part.

Therefore, the high-viscosity liquid substance stuck to the discharge nozzle end needs to be removed. In the related art, after dispensing equipment, the operator directly cleans the discharge nozzle using a wiper wetted with an organic solvent such as acetone.

However, when the operator directly cleans the discharge nozzle in this way, there is a problem that particles are dropped on the substrate or the stage on which the substrate is loaded by the movement of the operator, causing a defect.

In addition, in order to clean the discharge nozzle, the equipment has to be set up every cleaning, there is a problem that a process loss occurs.

The present invention provides a dispensing device capable of preventing defects and minimizing a process loss and a method of manufacturing a flat panel display device using the same.

Dispensing equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention to achieve the technical problem, the stage is loaded with the substrate and the base frame for supporting the stage, the syringe for receiving the liquid material dispensed on the substrate, and A dispenser having a discharge nozzle for discharging a liquid substance, a dispenser having the syringe mounted thereon, and a sensor unit detecting a distance between the substrate and the discharge nozzle, a driving unit for moving the dispenser on the stage, and a cleaning nozzle for the discharge nozzle It comprises a washing unit provided with a gas injection unit for.

As such, the dispensing equipment includes a cleaning unit for cleaning the discharge nozzle, and thus, removes the liquid substance accumulated at the end of the discharge nozzle by a high-pressure gas, thereby increasing work efficiency.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, a dispensing apparatus includes a stage on which a substrate is loaded, a base frame supporting the stage, a syringe for storing a liquid substance dispensed on the substrate, and a discharge for discharging the liquid substance. A dispenser including a nozzle, a sensor unit on which the syringe is mounted, which senses a distance between the substrate and the discharge nozzle, a driving unit to move the dispenser on the stage, a gas injection unit to clean the discharge nozzle; And a cleaning part having a receiving part for collecting the material removed from the discharge nozzle and a holder for fixing the receiving part.

As described above, the dispensing equipment further includes a receiving unit for collecting the liquid material removed by the high pressure gas, thereby preventing the equipment from being contaminated or generating particles by the foreign matter.

In addition, the accommodating part may be mounted on a holder, and the processability may be improved by enabling the exchanging of the accommodating part for single use.

Dispensing equipment according to another embodiment of the present invention, the stage on which the substrate is loaded and the base frame for supporting the stage, a syringe for receiving the liquid material dispensed on the substrate, and discharging the liquid material A dispenser having a discharge nozzle, a sensor unit on which the syringe is mounted, which senses a distance between the substrate and the discharge nozzle, a drive unit to move the dispenser on the stage, and a gas injection unit to clean the discharge nozzle And a cleaning part having a housing part for collecting the material removed from the discharge nozzle, a holder for fixing the housing part, and a vacuum suction part connected through the pipe with the housing part.

As such, the dispensing equipment may further include a vacuum suction unit connected to the receiving unit through a pipe, so that the liquid substance may be more easily removed by the vacuum force.

In addition, in order to achieve the above technical problem, a method of manufacturing a flat panel display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, the step of loading a substrate on the stage, the step of moving the dispenser by a drive unit on the substrate, the dispenser Sensing a distance between the substrate and the discharge nozzle by a sensor, and moving the dispenser to a cleaning unit when an error occurs in the sensing of the distance, and discharging the cleaning unit by the dispenser. Cleaning the nozzle, moving the dispenser back onto the substrate, and dispensing liquid material onto the substrate through the discharge nozzle.

Dispensing the liquid material, characterized in that it comprises the step of cleaning the discharge nozzle using a cleaning unit having a gas injection unit.

Next, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

1 is a perspective view of a dispensing equipment according to a first embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 1, the dispensing equipment according to the first embodiment of the present invention includes a stage 110 on which a substrate 101 is loaded, a base frame 114 supporting the stage, and the substrate ( A syringe 142 for storing the liquid material dispensed in the 101, a discharge nozzle 145 for discharging the liquid material, and the syringe, and a distance between the substrate 101 and the discharge nozzle 145. A dispenser 146 having a sensor unit for detecting a gas, a drive unit 130 for moving the dispenser 146 on the stage 110, and a gas injection unit 162 for cleaning the discharge nozzle 145. It characterized in that it comprises a cleaning unit 160 having a).

The stage 110 has a plurality of vacuum holes are formed to fix the substrate 101 loaded by a transfer robot (not shown), the insertion groove 112 through which the transfer robot can be formed can be formed. have.

The syringe 142 is mounted on the dispenser 146 in a state of receiving a liquid material such as a sealant, and the liquid material is formed on the substrate through the discharge nozzle 145 using a pump (not shown). Dispense with.

The dispenser 146 is connected to the driver 130, and the driver 130 includes a motor to move the dispenser 146 in the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis directions.

As such, the dispenser 146 connected to the driving unit 130 may dispense the liquid material at an arbitrary position on the substrate while moving the upper portion of the substrate 101 in the X, Y, and Z directions.

In addition, the dispenser 146 further includes a sensor unit (not shown) that detects a distance between the substrate 101 and the discharge nozzle 145.

For example, the sensor unit may be divided into a light emitting unit and a light receiving unit to sense a distance between the substrate and the discharge nozzle by detecting light emitted from the light emitting unit and reflected by the substrate at the light receiving unit.

The cleaning unit 160 includes a gas injection unit 162 for injecting a high pressure gas and cleans the discharge nozzle 145 using the high pressure gas injected from the gas injection unit 162.

As the high pressure gas, for example, CDA (Compressed and Dried Air) or nitrogen gas may be used.

In addition, the cleaning unit 160 may be provided on any one side of the four sides of the stage 110, it is preferably provided on the front of the dispensing equipment.

In addition, the dispensing equipment according to an embodiment of the present invention may be configured to further include a control unit for controlling the drive unit and the cleaning unit.

Next, with reference to Figure 2, the operation of the cleaning unit 160 will be described in detail.

As shown in FIG. 2, since the high-pressure gas 163 is injected from the gas injection unit 162 toward the liquid material B agglomerated at the end of the discharge nozzle 145, the liquid material B is discharged. Easily removed from 145.

The distance and the gas injection angle between the discharge nozzle 145 and the gas injection unit 162 should be set in consideration of the process conditions so as to be suitable for the dispensing equipment.

Next, the dispensing equipment according to the second embodiment of the present invention will be described.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dispensing apparatus comprising: a stage on which a substrate is loaded, a base frame supporting the stage, a syringe for receiving a liquid material dispensed on the substrate, and a discharge of the liquid material. A dispenser having a discharge nozzle, a sensor unit on which the syringe is mounted, which senses a distance between the substrate and the discharge nozzle, a drive unit to move the dispenser on the stage, and a gas injection unit to clean the discharge nozzle And a cleaning unit having a receiving unit for collecting the material removed from the discharge nozzle and a holder for fixing the receiving unit.

3 is a view showing the main parts of the dispensing equipment according to a second embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 3, in the dispensing equipment according to the second embodiment of the present invention, the liquid material B in which the high-pressure gas 163 is agglomerated at the end of the discharge nozzle 145 from the gas injection unit 162. Sprayed toward, removes the liquid substance B from the discharge nozzle 145, and the removed substance is collected in the receiving unit 164.

4 is a diagram showing the configuration of the housing portion 164.

As shown in FIG. 4, the accommodating part 164 has an open side surface 170, through which the liquid material removed from the discharge nozzle is accommodated.

In addition, the accommodating part 164 is mounted to the holder 146, and it is possible to replace the accommodating part 164 for a single use.

Dispensing equipment according to the second embodiment of the present invention has the same configuration as the first embodiment except for the configuration of the cleaning unit, the description of the other configuration except the cleaning unit will be replaced by the above description Shall be.

According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a dispensing apparatus including a stage on which a substrate is loaded, a base frame supporting the stage, a syringe for receiving a liquid substance dispensed on the substrate, and a discharge of the liquid substance. A dispenser having a discharge nozzle, a sensor unit on which the syringe is mounted, which senses a distance between the substrate and the discharge nozzle, a drive unit to move the dispenser on the stage, and a gas injection unit to clean the discharge nozzle And a cleaning unit including a housing for collecting the material removed from the discharge nozzle, a holder for fixing the housing, and a vacuum suction unit connected to the holder through a pipe.

5 is a view showing the main parts of the dispensing equipment according to a third embodiment of the present invention.

As shown in FIG. 5, the dispensing equipment according to the third embodiment of the present invention, when removing the liquid material (B) from the end of the discharge nozzle 145 by the gas injection unit 162, The liquid material B is sucked into the accommodating part 164 by the vacuum force transmitted through the 167.

6 is a view showing the configuration of the housing and the pipe.

As shown in FIG. 6, the accommodating part 164 has one open face 170 and one face made of a filter 163 on the opposite side of the open face.

That is, when a high viscosity material such as a sealant is sucked into the accommodating part 164, the pipe 167 may be blocked by the high viscosity material, but the high viscosity material is filtered by the filter 163 so that the pipe may be blocked. The blockage of 167 can be prevented.

As such, the liquid substance sucked into the accommodating part 164 is filtered and sucked into the vacuum suction part through the pipe 167.

In this way, the discharge nozzle is cleaned using the high pressure gas injected from the gas injection unit, as well as the vacuum force transmitted through the housing, thereby increasing the cleaning power.

In addition, since the material removed from the discharge nozzle is sucked into the vacuum suction part, less particles are generated than when the removal material stays in the receiving part.

Dispensing equipment according to the third embodiment of the present invention has the same configuration as the first embodiment except for the configuration of the cleaning unit, the description of the other components except the cleaning unit will be replaced by the above description. do.

Next, a method of manufacturing a flat panel display device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

In the method of manufacturing a flat panel display device according to an embodiment of the present invention, as shown in Fig. 7, the step of loading a substrate on the stage, the step of moving the dispenser by the drive unit on the substrate, and the sensor provided in the dispenser Additionally sensing a distance between the substrate and the discharge nozzle, if an error occurs in the sensing of the distance, moving the dispenser to the cleaning unit, cleaning the discharge nozzle, and Moving the dispenser back onto the substrate and dispensing liquid material onto the substrate through the discharge nozzle.

The cleaning of the discharge nozzle may be performed by using a gas injection unit that injects a high pressure gas.

In the step of loading the substrate on the stage, the transfer robot is inserted into the insertion groove formed in the stage while the substrate is adsorbed, and then seat the substrate on the upper stage.

The substrate seated on the stage is fixed to the stage by a vacuum force transmitted through a vacuum hole formed on the stage.

In the moving of the dispenser by the driving unit to the upper part of the substrate, a dispenser having a syringe for storing the liquid material and a discharge nozzle for discharging the liquid material is moved by the driving part.

The driving unit moves the dispenser to the X-axis, Y-axis, and Z-axis to dispense the liquid material at a desired position on the substrate.

In the sensing unit of the dispenser sensing the distance between the substrate and the discharge nozzle, the distance between the substrate and the discharge nozzle is measured using light such as a laser.

At this time, when the liquid substance is agglomerated at the end of the discharge nozzle, the liquid substance interferes with the light irradiated from the sensor unit, the amount of light received is reduced.

An error occurs when the amount of light received is less than the set reference.

As such, when an error occurs, the dispenser moves to the cleaning unit, and the discharge nozzle is cleaned with a high-pressure gas injected from the gas injection unit provided in the cleaning unit to remove the liquid substance accumulated at the discharge nozzle end.

At this time, it is preferable that the cleaning unit further includes an accommodating unit accommodating the liquid substance, so that the removed liquid substance is accommodated in the accommodating unit.

In addition, the cleaning unit may be connected to the vacuum suction unit through a pipe to suck the liquid substance.

As such, when the discharge nozzle is cleaned, the dispenser moves back onto the substrate to dispense liquid material on the substrate.

On the other hand, in the step of sensing the distance between the discharge nozzle and the substrate in the sensor unit, if an error does not occur immediately drop the liquid material on the substrate.

On the other hand, the present invention described above is not limited to the above-described embodiment and the accompanying drawings, it is possible that various substitutions, modifications and changes within the scope without departing from the technical spirit of the present invention It will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

The dispensing equipment according to the present invention can increase the efficiency of the operation by removing the liquid substance agglomerated at the end of the discharge nozzle using a high-pressure gas without the operator directly cleaning the discharge nozzle.

In addition, the dispensing equipment according to the present invention, by using a vacuum force in addition to the gas of the high pressure to remove the liquid substance agglomerated at the end of the discharge nozzle, has the effect of increasing the cleaning power.

In addition, the manufacturing method of the flat panel display device according to the present invention includes the step of automatically cleaning the discharge nozzle when an error occurs when the sensor unit senses the distance between the substrate and the discharge nozzle, it is possible to increase the work efficiency. .

Claims (14)

A stage on which the substrate is loaded; A syringe accommodating the liquid substance dispensed on the substrate and a discharge nozzle discharging the liquid substance; A dispenser having a sensor unit configured to fix the syringe and sense a distance from the substrate; A drive unit to move the dispenser on the stage; And a cleaning unit including a gas injection unit for cleaning the discharge nozzle. The method of claim 1, Dispensing equipment, characterized in that the cleaning unit is located on any one of the four sides of the stage. The method of claim 1, The dispensing equipment further comprises a control unit for controlling the drive unit and the dispenser. The method of claim 1, And the cleaning unit further comprises an accommodation unit for storing the object to be cleaned from the discharge nozzle. The method of claim 4, wherein Dispensing equipment, characterized in that the dispenser is movable to a position corresponding to the housing. The method of claim 4, wherein Dispensing equipment, characterized in that the storage unit is disposable disposable. The method of claim 4, wherein The cleaning unit further comprises a vacuum suction unit. The method of claim 7, wherein Dispensing equipment, characterized in that the cleaning unit is connected to the vacuum suction unit through a pipe. The method of claim 8, The container unit further comprises a filter for filtering the viscous material. The method of claim 1, The gas injection unit dispensing equipment, characterized in that for injecting any one of the CDA or nitrogen gas. Loading the substrate; Moving the dispenser over the substrate; Sensing a distance between the substrate and the discharge nozzle by a sensor unit provided in the dispenser; Moving the dispenser to a cleaning unit when an error occurs in the sensing of the distance; Cleaning the discharge nozzle in the cleaning unit; Moving the dispenser back onto the substrate; And dispensing a liquid material on the substrate through the discharge nozzle. The method of claim 11, The cleaning of the discharge nozzle may include cleaning using the gas injection unit provided in the cleaning unit. The method of claim 12, The cleaning of the discharge nozzle may include receiving a removal object removed from the discharge nozzle in a housing. The method of claim 13, The cleaning of the discharge nozzle may include suctioning the object to be removed into the housing using a vacuum force.

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